In 2019, the Philippines’ history will receive greater attention as the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) lines up a series of heritage-focussed activities, a departure from the more popular sun, sand and sea highlights.
Taking the spotlight is a two-year campaign entitled Philippines500, Celebration of Quincentennial Circumnavigation of the World. It will run till 2021, which will coincide with the 500th anniversary of Ferdinand Magellan’s discovery of the Philippines.
TPB’s 2019 work programme obtained indicated that the campaign will target “global mainstream markets” including millennials, foodies and balikbayans (Filipinos residing abroad)”. The goal is to “boost awareness of the Philippines and entice other Spanish-speaking (tourists) to visit” the only Spanish-speaking nation in South-east Asia.
TPB will also showcase the 75th anniversary of American general Douglas MacArthur’s landing in Leyte which saw the Allied forces winning the largest naval battle in history, ending the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II (WWII), in October this year.
This marketing push given to Philippine’s colonial history has been well received in the country’s travel trade.
Rajah Travel’s chairman and president Aileen Clemente said that historical milestones are a big tourist draw, and suggested “(identifying) significant events in the Philippines and (planning for) it several years down the road”.
Rajah Travel is one of a handful of agencies that offer itineraries centred around WWII’s events. Its Salute To Valor: WWII Tales of Courage tour – which started in 2015 – highlights the historical value of Palawan and its role in WWII.
New offerings this year include the Calamian Islands (including Coron whose Bay has 11 Japanese shipwrecks); the former leper colony of Culion; and wildlife sanctuary with African animals, Calauit.
Celebrate TLC’s managing director-operations Simon Ang said: “We need to make people realise that we are more than beaches, sun and sea.” He added that Binondo (Manila’s Chinatown), the oldest and biggest in the world, is another historic area that could highlighted.
One of the first to package tours to Binondo, Ivan Man Dy – founder of Old Manila Walks – will take things a step further by bringing tourists from Hong Kong and China this February on a tour that coincides with the Manila Art Deco Weekend.
In some ways, hotels today have hardly changed from those a hundred years ago. Guests will still walk into a lobby, check in at the reception, dine at the hotel restaurant and ask the concierge for city recommendations. Yet hidden from the guests’ view is a web of technologies that facilitate their stay from the moment they book to the moment they leave.
VR for sales presentations
One of the most interesting pieces of technology that we employ is virtual reality (VR). We use an Oculus Go VR set that essentially allows travel agents, meeting planners and guests from around the world to view our rooms and facilities almost as if they were here. While PowerPoint files and images are all very well they cannot provide the same immersive experience that true VR can.
Every hotel is unique, and all hoteliers will want to show off every nook and cranny to potential guests and agents, that is what Oculus Go allows us to do. Meeting planners and travel agents are able to travel throughout our hotel and view our facilities as if they were there. This matters because each agent will have their own requirements from the size and style of rooms, the size of the lobby, number of swimming pools to the shapes and sizes of the meeting rooms.
Equipped with this new technology, we have already seen results. We have seen an increase in the number of travel agents visiting our property after viewing it through the VR headsets, site inspections and contracting has also improved. Agents are not going to spend their time viewing a hotel that they do not think fits the needs of their guests and the Oculus Go headsets allow us to bring the hotel to them first. When they do come and visit, they feel like they are returning to a hotel they have already visited!
Training technology
Oculus Go is not the only technology that brings results. We train our staff in language and upselling skills using Boost’s mobile learning solutions. Since we started using Boost we have increased upselling revenue by five per cent and have received positive online reviews on the quality of English language skills that our employees possess.
This has also generated better relations with travel agents as they understand that our staff can speak the language of their guests – if their guests are happy then they are happy. Importantly as a leader, my employees are simply more confident and have acquired new language and upselling skills that they will take with them throughout their careers.
Revenue management
We also use LodgIQ as a revenue management tool which provides analysis of anonymous Big Data to extract revenue insights. This allows us to manage our room inventory in a much more efficient way. Importantly, it has improved our partnerships with travel agents as we are able to provide more rooms at more flexible price points.
Technology does not (and cannot) replace good service, rather it must be seen as an enabler. General managers need to be careful when choosing what technology to employ. Sometimes, technology is at its best when it is hidden.